On Friday, September 15, the Border Guard announced the detention of a 48-year-old Polish woman suspected of leading an organized criminal group. It was supposed to deal with transferring migrants from Belarus across the borders to European Union countries. People who wanted to use the group’s “services” had to pay specific amounts for help, depending on the choice of the target country.
A 48-year-old woman detained by the Border Guard. Granica Group comments
On the same day, the Granica Group, which helps migrants on the Polish-Belarusian border, stated that the 48-year-old did not act as part of their initiative. “We are unable to verify the veracity of these allegations. The detained person did not operate within the Granica Group. We also have no information about the methods or scope of the accused person’s activities. Until the court issues a final judgment, we should not formulate any assessments regarding the guilt of the detained person,” we read. in an official statement.
At the same time, the group noted that the allegations fit perfectly into the growing political narrative before the elections about the alleged cooperation of humanitarian organizations with smugglers and the current practices of criminalizing the provision of humanitarian aid. Members of the initiative emphasize that volunteers and local residents, as well as other people who try to help migrants in Podlasie, are “regularly intimidated and harassed by uniformed services.”
Support for a detained activist at the premiere of “The Green Border”
Reaction to the guards’ actions quickly appeared on social media. Posts with the hashtag “Wall behind Ewa” were created. Activist Karolina Mazurek has a theory why the 48-year-old was detained. “Why did they choose Ewa as a scapegoat? I think one of the reasons was that she was not a member of any organized aid groups, so they assumed a lack of legal support and reaction from the groups,” he says.
On Wednesday, September 20, the ceremonial premiere of Agnieszka Holland’s “The Green Border” took place. The film deals with the difficult topic of the humanitarian crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border and has aroused great emotions since the festival in Venice, where it was presented. As we read on the website, members of the Granica Group appeared at the event and took to the stage.
Before the screening, the activists told everyone present what happened to 48-year-old Ewa. Members of the Granica Group asked for a cry of support for the woman. After a while, the entire room joined in the chant of “We are with Ewa.” “The Green Border” will hit Polish cinemas on Friday, September 22.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
